James of Arcadia
"'''Live'..." '' -- James's last line of dialogue, safe in the knowledge that Laura and his friends have escaped James of Arcadia, born under the name James Edwards, is the protagonist of Lonesome Road ''and the protagonist of ''Chronicles Season 3: 'The Pilgrimage' ''of The 'New Age' ExtensionThe 'New Age' ExtensionThe Walking Dead by EDStudios. Born after the outbreak, James was taken from his parents and raised by gypsies, forced to undergo their rituals and trials to become a romuli, a medically enhanced human. Constantly on the move, he found it difficult to grow close to others and was forced through the clan's gruelling trials, training him into a skilled warrior with a mastery of martial arts that few have been able to rival. Once he reached of age, he was forced out of the clan and set about on his Path. He became a well-known bounty-hunter, eventually rescuing and training a young woman, Laura, as his ward. When she disappeared, he made a journey to the Sunshine Empire alongside his company in search for her. It was recently revealed in the [[The 'New Age' Extension|'New Age''' Extension]] that his real name is James Edwards, and is the illegitimate son of Harry Edwards and Holly Parker. He was given to a band of travellers as his parents were unable to sufficiently take care of him after the successful sabotage of Greencole. Overview One of the most skilled and capable warriors the New World has ever seen, James is a superior swordsman and martial artist. His body has been heightened to the peak of physical condition by the toxic herbal trials of the tribe. Personality James is a secretive and restless warrior who has a soft side he does not like to expose to others. Most of the time, he can be apathetic, cynical, and threatening. Despite his outwardly cold nature, Rosebud notes that behind his exterior hides a fiercely loyal friend, and a man of good humour and someone not indifferent to suffering. He is also very protective of and loyal to his friends and companions and is willing to go to great lengths for those who matter to him. He can be kind-hearted and caring to the people he loves. James is also shown to be extremely adept at allaying intense, and at times bleak, situations and as a man who would much sooner have everyone return home than draw their swords. His experience in the world makes him a world-weary man, often expressing disdain and circuitous insults to those he considers cruel and foolish. James has, admittedly, a weakness for red-headed women. Post-Apocalypse Season 8 At some point before the sabotage of Greencole, Holly reveals she has fallen pregnant with Edwards' child. Edwards is elated, but his happiness is ruined the next day when it is revealed that the crops have been killed. Chronicles Season 3: 'The Pilgrimage' 'That Lonesome Road' 'Journey to Nowhere' 'Time Stands Still' Season 9 * Many years before Chronicles Season 3: 'The Pilgrimage' 10 months after the sabotage of Greencole, Holly is no longer pregnant but there is no sign of their child. The relationship between them is strained, indicating that their child may have died. Season 1 (Lonesome Road) 'Blood Money' The 'New Age' Extension[[Season 5 ('New Age' Extension)|Season 5 (New Age Extension)]] Season 4 (Lonesome Road) 'Fallen Kingdom' James clutches his wound and watches as the herd of walkers approaches. He whispers his goodbyes to Laura and his friends as the herd gets within metres of him, and his fate is left unknown as the episode ends. Lonesome Road: 'Romuli' James does not appear in 'Romuli' and is only mentioned a few times, mostly in passing and once directly by Laura. Apparently his body was never found, meaning his body was completely devoured by the herd or he somehow escaped. Killed Victims * Slaver 1 * Mitch McDonald (alive) * Numerous counts of zombies and unnamed people Relationships Laura "There is no shame in dying for nothing," James cares for Laura like a daughter. Rosebud Although he was initially irritated by and disliked him, James eventually came to view Rosebud as a true friend. Rosebud searched for his friend's body for many years following his apparent death but found no trace of him. He deduced that his body was either completely devoured by the herd, or he somehow escaped and is finally living a peaceful life. Beauregard Johnson Mitch McDonald Harry Edwards "To my first born, James, I leave my sword, the blade of the Teller. May you wield it right and strong, and may it protect you from an early grave. I know I was not there...maybe this way a part of me will always be by your side," '-- Edwards' letter in his will leaving the Teller's Blade to James' James never knew his real father, Harry Edwards, although he heard plenty of stories about him and was aware his father had searched for him. By the time he located Veteran Ranch, his father had already died. However, he discovered - thanks to Drew Stanton - that his father had left him his sword. After leaving Veteran Ranch, James ventures to the ruins of an old house in Upswitch and finds his father's true resting place, having a moment of silence and sharing a few words before venturing out to find his mother's grave. Holly Parker "Hey Mom. Looking cosy...took me a while to find you, but here I am. Here, have a drink...I've been reading dad's memoir. He's written about you a lot here. He really did love you, by the looks of it. Thought about you a lot, too...sounds like he really missed you. I do, to, I guess..." '' '-- James speaks to his mother's grave'' In the Season 9 premiere '''''Before the Storm, Holly is visibly upset and devastated about the absence of her child but refuses to speak of it to her fellow group members, even Edwards. As with his father, James never knew his mother and knows very little about her, excluding the little information he received from Drew Stanton. However, in Edwards' letter to Hope about James it is conveyed that Holly was devastated and heartbroken when she was faced with no other choice than to give away her child. After many years of searching, James finally found his mother's grave thanks to a copy of his father's memoirs, finally giving him closure before his journey back south. Drew Stanton "What was my father like? I mean, I've heard stories about him...the "Veteran of Pain and Suffering". I've heard people call him a hero. A legend, even. But tell me...what was he '''really '''like?" '' '-- James asks Drew about his father's nature''' Although James and Drew Stanton have only had limited interaction, James clearly knew about Drew's relationship with his father, Edwards, and therefore saw him as family. He inquired to Drew about what his mother and father were really like, his father especially. Drew was happy to give James as much information as he could. In addition, Drew gave him Edwards' will letter leaving him his sword. Quotes * "I'd stay, but I got a long road ahead of me," * "I know pain. I live it every day...because of you. ... I look for them, you son of a bitch. I look for them, every day...but then I remember...'you took them from me'. ... You're gonna learn...you're gonna learn '''pain'...you're gonna learn suffering...you're gonna remember them, Jeremiah. You're gonna remember this. You're gonna remember ME!" ''-- James to Jeremiah about his murdered friends, as he mutilates his face Trivia * James was revealed to be James Edwards, the illegitimate son of Edwards and Holly, in the New Age Extension. ** He is named after James Cottingham, as Holly was initially unaware of James's identity as the Bandit King. * Much like his father, James has a large number of physical scars due to his way of life. ** James has a ruptured voice box that causes his voice to sound rough and gravelly. The damage also causes discomfort when he speaks. He alleviates this with a herbal remedy that slowly wears off. ** He has several whip lash scars on his back. ** He has several scars on his right leg after being caught in a bear trap. ** He has a long scar alongside the left side of his head. * Due to the herbal experiments carried out on him, James's physical appearance has several adnormalities. ** His eyes are emerald green, while he was born with brown eyes. * He is the current wielder of the Teller's Blade, having inherited it from his father's will. * He has a diagnosed case of synesthesia. * James has been shown several times to have "predicting vision", enabling him to read his opponents' body language and predict their next move, making him an almost unbeatable opponent. |-|Lonesome Road Characters= |-|Original Series Characters= Category:Characters Category:Protagonists Category:Edwards Family Category:Lonesome Road Category:Lonesome Road Characters Category:Main Characters